From Grunge to Clean

Jonathan Delmark from Sulligent First Assembly of God in Sulligent, AL brings us this combination of grungy and clean elements.

They started out this stage design by making some air filter light towers. But because they meet in a youth center where they have a basketball hoop, they wanted the boxes to be a little sturdier than just duct taped together. So they constructed a frame out of 1×1 boards with a plywood back and top, and painted the interior white to reflect more light. They also added a door on the back to be able to access the lights for any adjustments needed.

With painting the interior and back white, they were able to get more than enough light out of some slimline LED’s they got off eBay for $50 each. Then they duct taped the filters to the frame and painted the exterior wood frame black. The plywood back also helped keep from having much light bleeding onto the back of the stage or into the projector.

They mixed the light towers with a bunch of pallets they got from a guy in their church who works at a factory—so that the pallets have a really grungy, weathered look. They also made two banners with the splash concept and lit those with the same LED’s in the light towers. They used the pallets to hide what they put the LED’s on.

The light towers were the most expensive part, but were still a bargain. They spent about $200 to build the towers, including buying the lights. The pallets were free and the banners cost $135 in material and paint—including buying the lights.